T20 World Cup: New Zealand, Australia mull strategy rethink as rain threat looms large

The last time the two teams met at the SCG in March 2020, the game had to be played in an empty stadium due to the outbreak of the COVID-19. Now, as another trans-Tasman rivalry beckons on Saturday, Australia and New Zealand will hope the rain gods let up.

FILE PHOTO: Even though there was a bit of sunshine in Sydney in the afternoon, the rain threat has forced the captains to rethink their strategies. 

As the players from New Zealand reached the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground for their final training session on Friday morning ahead of the T20 World Cup Super 12 opener against Australia, a cloudy sky welcomed them.

A few minutes later, a short spell of showers forced the players to suspend training for a while. As they waited for the rain to stop, one of the security officials joked, “Time to keep the DLS sheets and the umbrellas ready, mate…”

While that led to a bit of laughter among the players and the support staff, the weather forecast for Saturday doesn’t look too promising. With heavy rain and thunderstorms predicted, there is a possibility that the teams might actually have to keep an eye on the DLS.

A minimum of five overs is required to constitute a match and with no scope for a reserve day, teams will have to be content with split points in case there’s no play.

Even if the predictions of the Bureau of Meteorology come true, it will be a massive challenge for the ground staff to get things back in shape in time for a rain-curtailed fixture. 

A general view of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday. | Photo Credit: SHAYAN ACHARYA

Even though there was a bit of sunshine in Sydney in the afternoon, the rain threat has forced the teams to rethink their strategies.

“Probably, we will look at shuffling the batting order. We have got some power all the way through our order, so we would try to get the match-ups in our favour,” Australia captain Aaron Finch said, explaining a possible tweak in strategy in case of rain.

“You have to be flexible, and then we also need to understand how much is the rain affecting the game? Is it for two overs? Doesn’t make much of a difference. But if it’s a five-over game, that makes a huge difference…” Finch added, making it clear that the team usually decides on whether to go for an extra bowler and sacrifice a bit on the batting only after assessing the situation.

New Zealand could not inspect the pitch as it was drizzling.

Captain Kane Williamson said, “We can’t confirm our final eleven just yet because if the game is shorter, then it is likely to be changed. We will just have to wait and see till tomorrow closer to the match and then take a call…”

With Australia beginning its title defence against rival New Zealand, expectations are high; so much so that it is set to be a packed house at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) with about 40,000 spectators watching the proceedings. And in such a scenario, both the teams will hope that there are no rain disruptions.

The last time the two teams met at the SCG in March 2020, the game had to be played in an empty stadium due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, but two-and-a-half years later, as another trans-Tasman rivalry beckons, the excitement and the demand for tickets indicate how much fans in Sydney missed cricket. A few officials claimed that even though it’s sold-out and there are rain predictions, the calls for tickets haven’t stopped.